Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant Guide

Alphabetical Listing of Restaurants: F

5 de Mayo
Fables Cafe
[am] Falafel Bar
Falletta's
[am] Family Tree
Famous Dave's Barbeque
[am] Fanny's
Faso's
[m] Fast Frank's
Fat Bob's
Fiamma Steak
Fiddle Heads
Fieldstone Country Inn
Il Fiorentino
Fireside Inn
La Fleur
El Fogon
A. & C. Fontana's Spaghetti House
Fortuna's
Frank's Sunny Italy
Friar's Table
[am] Friday's
Frog Grill at Warren's—CLOSED
Frog Hair Grille
Frontier Catering
Frosty's Lancaster
[am] Fuddrucker's
[a] Fuji Grill

Key:

[—], , ,	Bill's rankings
[XXX]	recommendation from contributor whose initials are XXX
[a+]	on UB Amherst Campus (in the UB Commons)
[a]	near UB Amherst Campus (within 2 miles)
[m]	near UB Main St. Campus (within 2 miles)

(For more info on locations, see Geography)

All phone numbers are in area code 716, unless otherwise indicated.

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5 de Mayo.
See Cinco de Mayo

Fables Cafe.
1 Lafayette Sq. (in the Downtown Public Library), Buffalo.
858-7127.

[LT, 8/07] says: "Positive Review. Fables Cafe was not difficult to find in the Downtown Public Library in the middle of the lunch hour, even on a Monday. Follow your nose, and you will find it. The smells alone convinced my husband and me to stay for lunch. The decor was clean, modern, but not frilly in the least. Comfortable, I would say, in that downtown officy sorta way. The line was long, most of the tables were full, but since we were not in a hurry, we didn't scramble for a table. The line moved quickly enough, but we did have time to consider our options at the drink cabinet. Luckily, there was also a menu board there, too, since I wasn't able to read the menu sign from the counter. Maybe I need glasses? Turn over was fast, and we found a table before our order was out. On the opposite side of the counter, however, the drink selection was different. Even though I had already paid, I asked an employee if I could swap out my iced tea for a different flavour. I would recommend looking at both drink coolers before deciding on beverage, just in case. The menu is limited but, from appearances of what other customers ordered and what we saw coming out from behind the counter, looked very good. I decided on the Quattro Fromage, a yummy, melty, gooey, vegetarian sandwich with an unknown combination of cheeses and fresh tomato slices on crisply fried (I assume, with a panini pressed), slightly garlicky bread. My reaction, on first bite, was to say "Oh my God, this is a great grilled cheese!" The side salad it came with was good, but simple—merely a blend of lettuces with some carrot and radish with a sweet balsamic vinaigrette. The "Skrumption" as described on the website might change daily, I am not sure, but today it was a wee wedge of brownie. Just enough to have a sweet ending to the meal. My husband, not a vegetarian like me, had, as they say on the website, a "mystery" (a.k.a. daily special?), which was, in this case, a "Brooklyn" Roast Beef Sandwich. He said the oil and vinegar combination was nice with the slightly spicy mayo, perhaps with a bit of horseradish in it, and the beef itself was tender. It came with cheese, lettuce, and tomato on untoasted bread, which would have been the death of me, if I ate meat—looked like it got a little soggy nearing the end. The price for us both to have a sandwich with the side salad and wee dessert with a drink each was just under $18. Not cheap, but not overpriced at all. We would return gladly, next time perhaps on a cooler afternoon, when I felt more like trying one of the vegetarian soup options."

[LS, 8/06] says: "I would happily eat here every day. The dream team from the Mansion on Delaware provide top-notch service and fabulous food on the main level of the recently renovated central library. The soups are the best I've ever had. Check out the daily specials on the web site. I can't say enough about the wonderful people at Fables. They also do catering."

Falafel Bar.
1009 Elmwood Ave. (north of Potomac, between Allentown & Buff State), Buffalo. 884-0444.
[am] 3689 Sheridan Dr. (at Millersport Hwy., next to Duff's), Amherst. 831-3982.

Middle Eastern. Owned by the owner of The Greek (now closed). Reviews, unless otherwise noted, are for the original Elmwood Ave. location.

[AFN, 5/08] says: "A friend and I had lunch at the Falafel Bar on Sheridan on Friday, 5/2. She and her husband dine there frequently, but I have not. The place was very busy and quite crowded, but we were seated quickly. Everything on the menu, a combination of Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine, sounds delicious. I had a delicious chicken souvlaki, with Greek salad and pita bread. It's also available as a wrap or as a platter, which comes with Greek potatoes, as well as the salad and pita. The serving sizes are immense. I took half of mine home to eat later. My friend had one of their luncheon specials—spanakopita with baba ganoush. She said it was excellent. Her serving size, and those of everyone around us, was also huge. For about $7.50, it would be hard to beat the quality and large portion of the food. My friend said her husband always orders the lamb souvlaki platter. I want to go there with my husband and try that next time."

[ECB] says:

[3/08]: "Gave the place a second chance, since the rest of the reviews were very positive. Had a hankering for grilled meat, so I got a simple Lamb Souvlaki Wrap and was quite pleased. Service was excellent."

[9/07] "Took a friend to lunch at the Falafel Bar on Sheridan. It's a small place but open, light, and well organized. Service was good, even though the waitress was unfamiliar with the menu. My guest wasn't familiar with Mediterranean cuisine, so she got the Maza's Revenge combo with falafel, hummus, and stuffed grape leaves. I ordered the Lamb Hummus. Both of us were disappointed. What I got was a pile of bland hummus covered in pea-sized bits of ground lamb and onions. Oily, underseasoned, and just generally gross. She enjoyed her falafel, but her hummus was similarly bland and covered in some tasteless, unidentifiable white sauce (watered down tzatziki?). She didn't care for the grape leaves, but that may have just been preference on her part. She ordered baklava for dessert and said it was quite good. Overall, I was very underwhelmed."

[LCo] says:

[11/07] And of the Sheridan Drive location, [LCo] says: "I was happy to hear that Falafel Bar has a new location on Sheridan, but I was disappointed on a recent visit when it seemed just as cramped as the Elmwood location. It seems like the dining room has a more open design with more square footage, but I was still bumping elbows with the table behind me. I tried the Lebanese-style wrap, which is falafel, tabouli, and tomato, with tahini. The falafel was great; it was nicely crisped on the outside without being charred or undercooked on the inside. Since the tabouli is made in the Lebanese tradition, it's heavy on the parsley, and I can't recommend this dish unless you're a parsley fan. Overall I enjoyed my suburban Falafel Bar experience and will be visiting this location again. Even if I can't back my chair up without hitting another person, at least they have off-street parking. And formal menus."

[9/07] "Falafel Bar is a great place to stop for a semi-quick, quality lunch or dinner. It's a small space, so you might want to invoke all of your capabilities for good timing if you're planning on dining in (though the take-out service is great and typically fast). On a recent visit, I started with a bowl of black bean and spinach soup. It was hearty, with big chunks of vegetables and a little kick of spiciness. For the entrée, I tried one of the specials, a grilled wrap with falafel, fried eggplant, roasted red peppers, and tahini (it was listed with tzatziki on the menu, but I asked for a substitution). The falafel and eggplant were cooked well, and the flavors complimented one another. The wrap was served with a Greek-style, side salad as well. Other wraps I have tried and liked are the falafel & hummus, Israeli, hummus, and falafel. The Jerusalem-style and mushroom hummus are also great additions to any meal; the portion is more than enough for a table to share. One thing that's great about Falafel Bar is that the staff seems aware of vegan and vegetarian diet restrictions, so they're more than willing to help you out with menu items or making substitutions."

[RRo, 10/07] says of the Amherst location: "Six thumbs up (the whole family)! My 4.5-year-old daughter was concerned when she walked in—no outdoor seating like downtown. She ordered her grilled-cheese pita (like downtown) and was pleased when it arrived that they were able to accommodate our request for tomatoes, too :-) The French fries were a bonus for her (and us!). I thought the bean soup was average, but everything else rocked! Some awesome Israeli cauliflower appetizer had just the right zing (who would have known cauliflower could taste so amazing?!), and my tilapia was nice thanks to the preparation (not bland like that fish can sometimes be), and my wife enjoyed her shrimp dish. And although we didn't get it, the "mixed grill" on someone else's table looked huge and delicious (they said so, too). All in all, we love this place! Plenty of left-overs, and, although every table was filled at 7pm on a Sat. night, so too were our glasses, which they kept topping off while we awaited our meal. Nice decor: can dress up or go casual; it's all good at this place. Not expensive, but not cheap, either; but, hey, it is the best falafel you'll ever eat."

[SAS, 9/07] says: "Positive—We have often visited its Elmwood Ave. location, despite the parking difficulties there. The new Sheridan Dr. location has plenty of off-street parking, but we ordered take-out last week. The food was excellent. We tried their Falafel Teaser with Tzatziki, with the patties moist and flavorful. The Gyro platter was tasty and very filling, and the Israeli Wrap pleased my often selective wife. We are thrilled that they now have a closer location to us."

[JMS, 9/07] says of the Sheridan Dr. location: "The Falafel Bar very recently opened a second location on Sheridan Drive, near Millersport, in a very small, freestanding building. My husband and I were very excited to try it, since we have eaten at the restaurant on Elmwood, as well as The Greek, which was the first incarnation of the Falafel Bar. We were not disappointed. The menu is the same as the Elmwood location, as far as I can tell, and they also feature daily specials. We started with an appetizer called Maza's Revenge, which consisted of stuffed grape leaves, tzaziki, hummus with tahini, and falafel balls. It was served with pita bread and was truly very fresh and delicious. My husband had a cup of the soup of the day, which was beans, spinach, and escarole. I tried some, and that, too, was very good. For our main courses, we both ordered specials from the board. My husband had grouper with a sort of Morrocan stew topping consisting of tomatoes, onions, and spices, served over rice. It was presented in a cool-looking bowl, and he enjoyed it very much. I had a chicken schwarma wrap sandwich. It was chunks of chicken that had been rubbed with spices (I detected cinnamon, curry, cloves, garlic...) and grilled. It was served wrapped in a pita with lettuce, tomato, onion, and hummus. It was very filling and again very fresh. We were full, but we couldn't pass up dessert. We shared a wonderful and very unique dessert called a Halvah parfait. Halvah is usually a sweet sort of dense bar made from ground sesame seeds, but this parfait is more like a frozen halvah ice cream, which is just so delicious. It is served on a pool of creme anglaise and is not to be missed. The service was very good, with the waitress asking if we had any questions and explaining the specials. It should be noted that it is a very small restaurant and does get quite crowded. The service seemed to suffer a little as the restaurant became full, but we had such a good meal we really didn't mind."

[AG, 11/06] says: "The best falafel in Western New York, but not cheap ($5-$6). The hummus with sautéed lamb, tomatoes, and pine nuts is simply outstanding, and the grilled "Mediterranean chicken" is another favorite. The hummus could use a bit more lemon to my taste, but ask for the homemade green hot sauce and you won't notice any flavor deficiency."

[JeA, 4/06] says: "This was a small, amazing place to eat, if you like Greek and middle eastern food. They have an assortment of different foods from salads to wraps. The cost of the food is very reasonable. I had a chicken souvlaki wrap, and it was the best that I had in western New York. I recommend this restaurant to all."

[JGM, 11/05] says: "This is my favorite place to pick up dinner on my way home from work. My favorite is the Lebaneh Wrap, with falafel, fried eggplant, and other goodies."

[KATS, 7/05] says: "Great falafel appetizer, though we were never given silverware and had to eat it with our hands. Seriously, how long did the waitress expect us to wait for a fork? She came to the outside patio at least three times, not bearing utensils. I had a special wrap—gyro with sautéed onions and mushrooms. Excellent gyro meat, not too fatty or greasy. My husband had the Mixed Grill Wrap, which had gyro, chicken, and beef. The beef was very chewy, but the wrap was otherwise good. Good for a quick in-and-out dinner, and much better than Sahara Grill (across the street)."

[LS, 12/04] says: "I dined at Falafel Bar a few weeks ago and loved it. I had the Mazza's Revenge, a plate overflowing with hummus, stuffed grape leaves, and falafel. It was more than I could eat at one time. The place is tiny, and service is excellent. It's housed in the former Edrito's location."

Falletta's.
8255 Clarence Center Rd., E. Amherst.
741-7406.

Italian: pastas, chicken, veal, haddock, shrimp, various specials (e.g., salmon, swordfish, veal chops).

[MER] and I ate here [12/00]. The decor is more impressive than the food. (Some restaurant-critic friends of mine once wrote that they found that the quality of the food in a restaurant is frequently inversely proportional to the number of hanging plants :-) I had an iceberg-lettuce salad, but it had a very good vinaigrette dressing (the only other choice was a poppy-seed dressing). My broiled salmon with a pineapple salsa can only be described as plain; ditto for the sides of baby carrots and mashed potatoes. However, [MER]'s veal stuffed with artichokes and three cheeses was "scrumptious".

Much more recently, [WHN, 12/07] says: "The weekend before Christmas, we went to Falletta's with another couple. As we approached the front door, an obviously drunken Santa Claus, smoking a cigarette outside, practically slammed the door in our faces as he went back in. We don't know if he worked for the restaurant or was at a private party, but in either case, "Santa" needs to take an etiquette course. Once seated, there was a large, boisterous family group with a number of children noisily celebrating the holidays at a nearby table. We wondered if their kids had seen Santa smoking and drinking. The food (a fish dish, two steaks, and veal piccata) was all right, but far inferior to the food at La Scala and Pietro's nearby. We won't be back anytime soon, if ever."

[am] Family Tree.
4346 Bailey Ave. (at Ruth, about midway between UB Main St. & Amherst Campuses), Eggertsville.
838-2233.

Greek. Originally opened as a branch of the Towne, but is now a solo operation. Has a larger menu (e.g., more seafood, wider variety of desserts) than the Towne, but is otherwise indistinguishable.

[MER] and I ate here [10/01] for the first time in a long time, looking forward to a nice, "comfortable" meal. We were sorely disappointed; as a result, I have lowered the ranking of Family Tree from 2 stars to none. My shrimp Mykonos (baked, with tomato sauce and feta) tasted of iodine. Worse, our entire meal was delayed because this item took an extra 20 minutes to prepare; had I known in advance, I would never have ordered it. I must say, however, that the mashed potatoes that accompanied it were exquisitely smooth and creamy. Unfortunately, the Greek salad that also accompanied it was bland and tasteless (iceberg lettuce, 1 slice of tomato cut in half, 1 Greek olive, and some feta). [MER]'s open chicken souvlaki was also boring and tasteless.

[MZ, 4/07] says: "The selection here is a little boggling in its extensiveness, but bear in mind that this is a very basic Greek joint. (Quantity doesn't necessarily mean quality.) I was there last about a year ago; hadn't had gyros in a long time, and that being in Chgo, which is why I wanted to go—and my relatives like the place. Don't bother here; the gyros are really bizarre, seem to be steamed or something, and have 'way too much garlic. You also have to ask for pita (they give you one small one when you do, about half of what's needed) and also, separately, have to ask for the spiced sour cream sauce (don't know what it's called). [Bill's note: Tzatziki?] My tastebuds were very sad. Have also on other occasions had spanikopita there, which was burned, although still good. (Presumably over-re-cooked.) On the other hand, the pastitsio was pretty good. Appears to be a nice, comfortable place for dine-alones, which, in Buffalo, is a hard-to-find restaurant (and probably worthy of its own category)."

[JJBy, 1/07] recommends them for breakfast, and adds: "Had lunch there a couple of months ago and enjoyed it."

Famous Dave's Barbeque.
1753 Walden Ave. (near Galleria Dr.), Cheektowaga.
892-RIBS (892-7427).

Part of the chain.

[KK, 3/07] says: "My wife and I give this chain restaurant two thumbs down. Our appetizer, onion strings, were served soggy, loaded in oil. When our entrees arrived, the quality didn't improve. I had a two-meat combo platter, with Beef Brisket and Pork as my two meats. I ordered the mashed potatoes and green beans as my sides. The pork was OK at best; the texture of the beef brisket made it seem as though it had been marinated for hours, not smoked for hours, and the flavor was not good at all. The mashed potatoes had little flavor and may not have even been real. The green beans, although a little spicy, didn't do much for me after that. Cornbread muffin was good. The whole meal was not much more than room temperature. The only saving grace was that the half rack of St. Louis ribs I ordered à la carte were good, but not great. My wife had a beef brisket sandwich, and again the meat was the texture and flavor of a Ponderosa marinated piece of meat. The fries didn't even do anything for her, and she loves fries. Stick to the small, independent, local barbeque restaurants such as Kentucky Greg's, Fat Bob's, or One Eyed Jack's."

[am] Fanny's.
3500 Sheridan Dr. (east of Millersport Hwy.), Amherst.
834-8665.

Elegant, expensive, continental cuisine. [3/07] I was contacted by the owner of Fanny's, complaining about the out-of-date reviews. I explained that no one had sent me any recent reviews and that all reviews were date-stamped, so that readers would realize if a review was old or relatively recent. He insisted on being removed. Note that the oldest (hence least useful) review is, indeed, quite old; but I've kept it because it was positive. The most recent reviews are from 2005, one good, one bad. Other readers have suggested that I delete old reviews, and, in many cases, I have, but I'm now reconsidering this practice, because I find the history and evolution of the reviews to be of interest. Several options came to mind concerning this entry for Fanny's: (1) I could simply delete the older reviews. (2) I could delete the entire entry, so that there would be no mention of Fanny's in the Guide; this was tempting. Of course, if someone sent in a new review—good or bad—I would publish it. (3) I could keep all the reviews on the grounds that I shouldn't treat any restaurant differently from any other or have to accede to a disappointed owner's request. After all, some restaurants have sent me "nastygrams", but I've kept those restaurants listed, and other restaurants have called to express disappointment with their reviews and to tell me they were going to try to improve. So, as you can see, I have decided on option (3). But the owner is quite right about one of the ratings, which is based on the last time I ate there, in the 1980s; that is, indeed, too old, so I've deleted the 2-star rating I had given it.

[MaBa, 12/07] says: "We recently joined a group of couples for a holiday night on the town (12/1/07). Reservations for 7:00 were made two weeks in advance. We arrived to find parking almost impossible, and we had to park at the Valvoline oil change next door, after scouring their lot for a place to park for more than ten minutes. We were thinking that this must be a very popular restaurant. We have not dined at this restaurant in about 15 years and were not impressed then, but, since another couple wanted to try this place, we thought we'd give it another go. The maitre d' was not very friendly, and the black and mirrored bar area was completely empty. We ordered drinks at the bar from a very standard menu while waiting for our spouses to find parking. After being seated, we tried to order a bottle of the same South American Chardonnay I was able to order by the glass at the bar, since it was not on the main wine list. Since it was a terrific wine for only $6.00 per glass, we were surprised that the waiter let us know that the owner said an entire bottle would be $35.00. We decided we would stay with the single glass price. The dinner menu was average fair (nothing creative or nouveau) at very expensive prices. The lobster bisque soup was like Campbell's tomato soup with fish bits in it. The seafood chowder was a little more generous and flavorful, but was served cold. House salads were basic greens with sprouts and tomatoes. I ordered the Pablano Pepper appetizer, which was a blend of spicy sausages with chili sauce over the top. It was the best part of my meal. The Pasta Jake I ordered was linguine, wild mushrooms, asparagus, and chicken in a ginger Thai sauce with pistachio nuts. My dish arrived lukewarm, with pasta swimming in a peanut-like sauce that was not fully cooked. The sauce tasted chalky, like corn starch was used as a thickener and then it had never been cooked to thicken the sauce. There was very little asparagus and mushrooms, and it seemed like green beans may have been substituted. Pistachio nuts were completely absent. It was not even artfully presented. The dish was just awful. The "wild" salmon on the menu is actually farm-raised. The paella was OK, but, for the price, it should have been more substantial. The dessert tray was unusual. Instead of fresh desserts being on the tray, there were well-worn samples including some made of wax and even a scoop of white Crisco used to simulate ice cream on top of one of the apple dishes. The desserts we ordered luckily did not resemble the scary fake desserts on the sample tray, but they were just mediocre with fancy presentation. Our thinking is that if you can't afford to use actual fresh desserts on your sample tray, you might as well use photographs to impress or just go with menu descriptions. We realized halfway into our dining experience that the restaurant was so crowded because there were two private parties at the restaurant. A birthday party in the separate area and the main dining room was filled with diners from a private boating group. Our dining experience was frequently interrupted by speeches and a slide show that lasted over 45 minutes, which was in 3D, complete with cardboard glasses! We counted only two tables in the main dining room (including ours) that were not part of any organized group. It seems this restaurant has become a banquet facility, with even the main dining room being used for large private groups. The restaurant was dark; the large group's presentation and member's gift exchange made us feel as if we were spectators, since it made conversation difficult as best. Overall, our dining experience was very disappointing. If only the private boating group had given us 3D glasses, we could have at least looked at their slides!"

[AJC, 6/05] says: "We just moved to Buffalo from Cleveland during this past year. We enjoy fine dining. We dined last night at Fanny's and were extremely disappointed. The ambience is lovely, the service was fine, but the food was a disgrace. I agree the salad was good and a nice extra. My husband had the duck, which seemed to be frozen and reheated or nuked! It was mushy & had no flavor. I had the salmon encroute, which was not only mushy but had a very fishy flavor indicative of poor quality. Can't comment on dessert, as we left without looking at the menu. The place was empty with the exception of another couple wearing shorts and drinking beer. Not worth the price and not a good experience."

[AB, 2/05] says: "I dined at Fanny's for the second time last week and found the entire experience to be exceptional. The ambiance is elegant and pretty, but not so overtly romantic that you feel silly eating there with a casual friend. We ordered an appetizer that was a sampler platter for two, but four of us shared it, and it was enough. All of the bites were delicious, such as honeydew wrapped with prusciutto, but the standout item was spicy banana peppers stuffed with spicy Italian sausage, which was spicy and delicious. The salads (which are included with dinners, which you don't see a lot at upscale restaurants) were made of fresh field greens. I had balsamic vinaigrette dressing with Roquefort cheese crumbles on it, and it was delicious. For the main course, everyone I dined with had steak. They were all cooked perfectly. I had a pepper steak, which was crusted with pepper corns and covered with a zesty sauce. It was a huge piece of meat, too, a better deal for the money than you are used to seeing. The potatoes and grilled vegetables that came with it were also cooked perfectly and complemented the steak nicely. If you go to Fanny's, you must save room for their desserts. They are a bit pricy, but worth every penny, all homemade and simply out of this world! My table got crème brulée, a Napoleon, chocolate mousse cake, and cheesecake. All were covered with a generaous helping of fresh berries (in January!) and absolutely wonderful. Even the chocolate garnishes are made in-house. It's an overall elegant and tantalizing experience, on par with some of the better meals I've had in New York and Chicago. Highly recommended for special occasions...or any night you want to turn into a memorable one!"

[JC, 2/02] says: "I went to Fanny's with [several faculty colleagues] and a faculty candidate. My overall impression was that of a place that tries to be fancy but is merely pretentious. Most of the dishes are seafood, but the quality is uneven. My bisque tasted as if had been warmed up several times before. The shrimp and scallop etouffe was quite tasty, except for quite a few grains of sand, whose presence indicated that the seafood had not been thoroughly cleaned. My companions seemed to enjoy their dishes, which consisted of various incarnations of salmon and chicken. I hoped for some plain, fresh Italian bread, but instead we were served a cheese-filled concoction. Because the servings were quite substantial, none of us was able to partake of the many wonderfully looking cakes or mousses from the dessert tray. The missed desserts may be the only reason for going back to this restaurant."

[JMC, 8/98] says: "Fanny's made the cake [for our Bar Mitzvah], and it was so delicious that my cousin in Cherry Hill called me to see if she could have a bakery there get the recipe from Fanny's! It was a Strawberry Torte with vanilla custard and filling, fresh strawberries all covered with whipped cream."

Faso's Restaurant.
2126 Niagara St. (West Side), Buffalo.
873-4147.

Italian.

[LCo, 7/07] says: "On a recent visit to Faso's, I had the spinach sauté, which was tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach sautéed with garlic and oil. The menu says it's over ziti, and I'm no pasta expert, but I'm pretty sure it was actually over penne. Overall, the dish had a good flavor and was a nice, light pasta dish for warmer weather. Instead of the more traditional bread and butter service at the table, we were given knots covered in garlic oil and Romano cheese. I was with a party of 11, and, though we did have to wait quite a while for the food, my dish was still served piping hot. There were a couple of minor errors with the orders at our table, but the waitress was very nice and promptly corrected everything."

[AFN, 12/05] says: "I've been here a number of times with colleagues from school. We usually call ahead to tell them we're coming, because we need to dine earlier than the normal dinner time, then hurry back for some after-school event. They are very accommodating. The friendly waitress that we seem to have every time always tells us (in a friendly way) that no two people in our group can order the same thing—that we must each order something different and share. Their eggplant parmesan is out of this world, as are the chicken and veal marsala. Other southern Italian dishes are also very good. The restaurant has festive Christmas decorations up year 'round—a bit odd—but the food will make you forget the decor."

[MD, 4/98] says: "Faso's offers especially fine cooking that claims "The food is so good, you'll think we stole your mama"."

[m] Fast Frank's.
12 Winspear Ave. (near Main St.), Buffalo.
838-3874.

[MEL, 5/98] says: "More standard Greek American food. OK meal, but pretty ho hum."

[LIN, 4/96] says: "Better than average, cheap American and particularly Greek cuisine."

Fat Bob's Smokehouse.
41 Virginia (in Allentown), Buffalo.
887-2971.

[BI, 2/08] says: "My family and I ate at Fat Bob's on Saturday, February 3, 2008. This is the 2nd time we've been there in approximately 2 years. We all had the same side dish of Macaroni and Cheese, which everyone agreed was very good. For the 2nd time, we have all been very disappointed with their meat. My dad and I had the beef brisket sandwich. It was extremely chewy and not very warm. Others had the ribs, which were also on the cold side. Fat Bob's has been a disappointment now for a little while, and we will not be going back. If you want good BBQ go to BW's or Kentucky Greg's."

[APS, 10/07] says: "I ordered a Memphis pulled pork sandwich, with the sides coleslaw and sweet-potato fries. The sandwich was good, although there was too much barbecue sauce, which overpowered the sandwich. This also made the bread soggy. The coleslaw was also good, but had a bit too much sugar. The sweet-potato fries were more like fried sweet potatoes, since the fry slices were very large. The meal was above average, but the barbecue was not quite as good as Red Bones in Somerville, MA, and I prefer thinly cut sweet-potato fries, like they have at Boston Beerworks in Boston, MA."

[ARo, 11/05] says: "The ribs at Fat Bob's are extremely good. I'd venture to say that they are on par with Al-E-Oops's ribs. Comparatively, they have their own distinct flavor—a nice smoky taste with a perfectly seasoned rub. The meat was a little less tender as well—I had to pick the ribs up to eat them, whereas at Al-E-Oops I could eat them with nothing more than a fork. I had a side of fries and a side of grilled veggies, which were also very good. My wife had the half chicken, which was, in her words "pretty good, but Al's was better". I would definitely come back to Fat Bob's for ribs, as well as for their famous macaroni and cheese. Service was excellent."

[SMD, 12/03] says: "All primed for some BBQ, my dining companion and I headed out in search of pulled pork. Being a Monday night, we were disappointed to learn that our original destination, Suzy-Q's Bar-B-Que Shack, wasn't open that evening. Undeterred, we ventured into the city to try Fat Bob's, which I had been to a few years ago and had enjoyed very much. What a difference a few years makes. I had the pulled pork entree with mac & cheese and coleslaw as the sides. My sides were good, but the pulled pork was mediocre at best. Served swimming in sauce, I could barely discern the pork flavor over the sauce. I guess I prefer the protocol at other BBQ places, where they let the diner determine the amount of sauce with a bottle of BBQ sauce at the table. This pulled pork was literally like a stew! My partner had the BBQ ribs with mac & cheese and sweet potato fries. He was pleased with his dinner. Overall, I would rate this an OK dining experience but not really worth a drive into the city when you can basically have a superior meal at Alley-Oops, One Eyed Jack's, or Suzy-Q's Bar-B-Que Shack."

Fiamma Steak. WARNING: WEBSITE TAKES AN OVERLY LONG TIME TO LOAD AND IS VERY LOUD
1735 Hertel Ave. (at Starin), Buffalo.
834-2662.

[4/08] Given 4 (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

[AMB, 10/07] says: "We ate at Fiamma last week and had a nice experience. The bar/lounge area is comfortable just for a drink, their drinks are well made, and the service at the bar and for dinner was attentive. The menu offers more than just beef (I am not always a beef eater, and there was more than I could choose from); we had good-sized seafood and soup appetizers, one beef and one seafood entree, and 1 side to share (very good fries!) and had more than the two of us could eat. It was all very good. We had to rush off to pick up our daughter at the end of the meal, and the waitress was very accomodating. Even the valet guys were friendly. I read your site all the time, I decided I should start contributing."

On the other hand, [RGr, 3/06] says: "We finally had our much anticipated dinner at Fiamma this past Saturday night (the 12th), and unfortunately it did not live up to the hype. While the bar and restaurant had a nice atmosphere, the service was terrible on this night. We were greeted by a most unfriendly hostess, who brought us upstairs to dine (I would suggest eating downstairs, if you dine here). It took almost ten minutes until we had someone (a busboy) take our drink order, and we did not see our server for another 10 minutes. The restaurant was quite busy, but, even for a busy restaurant, the service was overwhelmingly poor. Three of the six people in our party had all been fine dining servers, and we could not believe how terrible our service was. We thought we were on a hidden camera show, because it was truly that bad. We finished our appetizers, and had to request that our plates be cleared because they sat on our table for almost 10 minutes after we were finished with them. At this point, we had not even ordered our entrees yet. Anyway... The food was definitely above average, but bad service ruined what would have otherwise been a very good meal. Also, stay away from the chocolate creme brulee and the root beer float desserts. I would definitely have to disagree with Janice Okun... I will not return to this restaurant anytime soon."

[JCr, 1/06] says: "I have been here a few times for drinks since they opened a few weeks or so ago, but last night was my first dinner experience, and it was great. I was with a party of 8, and the service was superb. For starters: stuffed artichoke, calamari, and a chopped salad were all ordered, and all reported to be excellent, as was my Caesar salad. For entrees, many in the group ordered the filet, 8oz or 12oz avail., also a 32oz. bone in ribeye "steak 4 2" that comes with lobster mashed potatoes. (The rest of the menu is à la carte.) For my entrée, I went with the 22 oz. T-bone with a Gorgonzola crust finished in a pinot noir sauce; it was quite good, as were the rest of the steaks. Sides are large enough to split, and the garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus, and steamed spinach were some of the sides our party had ordered. Good desserts, great wine list, and a great atmosphere. My only real complaint was that our water glasses were never refilled after the initial filling. All in all, 9 out of 10 in my book; I will certainly be returning sooner rather than later."

Fiddle Heads.
62 Allen St. (in Allentown), Buffalo.
883-4166.

[8/05] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

[SPa, 2/07] says: "2-17-07: I read some wonderful reviews of Fiddle Heads on this site and thought I would give it a try. The ambiance is cozy, but from the Allentown/Elmwood prototype, nothing you haven't seen before. We sat down and were greeted by a friendly bartender as we waited for our table, who prepared us some excellent cocktails. As we were seated for dinner, our waiter greeted us oddly, with no eye contact. The service continued to be subpar throughout the evening; we seemed to be forgotten: 20 minutes passed before bread was on our table, and there was a long wait for the check at the end of our evening. I was assured by my guest, an experienced waitress, he wasn't covering an overwhelming amount of tables. We did make the best of it, enjoying ourselves as we consciously tried to get any eye contact from the waiter throughout the evening; we failed. The food was average overall, not bad. We ordered the appetizer from the specials menu, crab cakes. They were without a doubt tasty, but had a disproportional amount of breadcrumbs and a bit of a fishy taste; perhaps they ordered too much lump crab meat last week for another special. I had the duck, which had an excellent smokey flavor and delicious wine reduction. Unfortunately, it was a bit cold, not just medium rare cold. The accompanying risotto had no mouth feel; it was overcooked, and the dish was unimaginative, with cheese overpowering all other flavors. My guest had the lobster, which was well prepared but plated next to below-average roasted garlic mashed potatoes. It seems for $36 one could expect more than a broiled lobster tail, mashed potatoes, and clarified butter. Perhaps they can get away with this because they have a hip vibe happening, which is enough for many. Overall, the meal was a disappointment, perhaps an off night, but I won't return to find out."

[MBa, 12/05] says: "I recently joined a group of six people, including my parents, for dinner at Fiddle Heads. Our evening began very nicely—the atmosphere at the restaurant is quiet and comfortable. Our server came to our table to take our orders, and we ordered a few bottles of nice wine. I have no complaints with the food—our meals were well prepared and delicious. However, once our server brought us our dinner, we basically didn't see him again. Getting additional drinks was a long, tumultuous process. Balsamic vinegar...another long wait. We finished our meals and were enjoying conversation, but after a while we noticed that no one had come to clear our plates, take a coffee order, or present a dessert menu. We've all been in the unfortunate situation where you have to get up and find your server, and that is what we resorted to on this evening. There was a person busing tables, and another server in the restaurant (which is small), and there wasn't really that many tables filled...so we found it hard to understand why the service became so poor. We finally located the server, had the table cleared, and placed orders for coffee and dessert, but again we ran into several problems. Our coffee arrived in two shifts—meaning that half of us were done with ours, or it was cold as we politely waited for the other coffees to come to the table. Our desserts took forever to come, and, when they did, they were OK. Nothing special. Finally, we had to wait again for a long time to get our check. My father got up to find the server a second time. He found the server sitting at the bar with the other staff...just hanging out. Overall, we were at the restaurant for almost 4 hours—far too long for a group of 6 people in relatively empty small restaurant. My father called that following week to complain to the owner—apparently the chef—about our service. He told her that we enjoyed our meals but were very unhappy with our service. She said she'd get back to him. We've heard nothing since."

[ALK, 11/05] says: "I just wanted to let you know that recently I have had some wonderful dining experiences at Fiddle Heads. The restaurant is cozy and intimate and very chicly decorated—to me, atmosphere is an important part of any dining experience, and Fiddle Heads rates high on atmosphere in my book! I tend to stop at Fiddle Heads by myself on my way to one of the many area theaters, and Fiddle Heads has always been extremely accommodating of me as a single diner, as well of the fact that I need to finish up my meal in a timely fashion in order to make curtain time. Service is always of the highest degree of professionalism. Additionally, the food is of high quality, using only the freshest ingredients that are prepared with care. I was most recently at Fiddle Heads on Thursday, November 10th, and I enjoyed a meal from the restaurant's prix fixe menu (a 3-course meal for $20 available every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, which includes choice of soup or salad, one of three entrees, and a dessert). I chose the simple salad, which is fresh, delicate field greens lightly coated with a house-made vinaigrette and topped with a piece of crispy flatbread studded with tomato and herbs. My entree was a cornmeal coated tilapia fillet served over a mixture of roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, artichokes, cheese, and cubed French bread that was tossed in a balsamic-style dressing. The entree was terrific, and was very hard to choose because the other two entrees on the prix fixe menu (chicken pot pie with fresh vegetables, or a pork chop with fresh applesauce) seemed equally appetizing. Dessert consisted of two slices of a fragrant, moist spice cake with a scoop of creamy, and obviously homemade, pumpkin ice cream. The wine menu, as well as the "regular" dinner menu, boast some wonderful selections sure to please many palates. And although their menu is not huge, as many restaurants are accustomed to offering, Fiddle Heads has easily mastered the art of quality over quantity. Fiddle Heads is a gem of a restaurant, and well worth checking out!"

[KP, 7/02] says: " Another couple and we had dinner at Fiddle Heads this past Thursday. We were a bit wary after seeing the menu with so few choices, but after our waiter gave us three other options to go along with the five or six on the set menu, each of us found an entree to our liking. I had salmon served with spring rolls and an apricot dipping sauce. The men in our party had filet mignon served with a potato gratin. My friend had sauteed scallops. The food was excellent—creative, beautifully presented, and delicious. We ladies had a Tasman Bay sauvignon blanc with our dinners, and the gentlemen enjoyed a St. Francis old-vine zinfandel. We shared two desserts: homemade vanilla ice cream and fresh berries over pound cake. We were pleased by the good service, the relaxed atmosphere, and the superb food. We will return! (This deserves your top rating—three stars.)"

Fieldstone Country Inn.
5986 S. Transit Rd. (near Lockport Rd.), Lockport. 625-6193.

[SFi, 2/08] says: "Dined there 2/22 (Friday evening, during Lent). Waiting area was full, but plenty of seating. Quoted 30-minute wait for party of 4, but it was actually closer to a 15-minute wait. We were pleasantly surprised to have a short wait on a Friday during Lent. My husband and I both chose from the dinner specials. He ate Grilled Marinated Tuna Steak, accompanied by Salt potato & coleslaw. I chose the seafood pasta special, featuring linguine, shrimp, scallops, & lobster in a white wine sauce. My entrée came with salad. Diners are offered choice of salad, coleslaw with dinners. Both entrees were delicious and most importantly warm. There is nothing worse than cold fish. My daughter chose children's steak, which was accompanied by fries and applesauce. (My 6-month-old son ate the applesauce!) Kids' meal was $6.99, and our entrees were $16.99 each. We used Entertainment card for $10 off. Plenty of leftovers from the kids' meal. Dinners include soup bar, which on Friday consisted of Chicken Noodle or New England clam chowder, along with muffins, rolls, and sliced bread. The only complaint I had was the soup bar was a little cold—so be sure to stir it well to get the warm stuff before serving yourself. Staff was very friendly. Restaurant and restrooms were clean. Note, restroom facilities consist of large handicapped restroom per gender (and no changing table)."

[KMD, 11/96] says: "It's got a wonderful all-you-can-eat soup and bread bar and it features an all-you-can-eat entree (a perfect treat for hungry UB students) on several week nights. I'd love to go there tonight but I'm stuck here a mere 320 miles due west. The Fieldstone is one of our favorite WNY restaurants. If you do go to the Fieldstone, make reservations in advance."

Il Fiorentino.
5100 Big Tree Rd., Orchard Park.
649-6879.

Italian.

[10/06] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

[RMDC, 2/07] says: "My husband and I recently dined at Il Fiorentino Ristorante in Orchard Park, NY. What a wonderful dining experience we had! The food was absolutely divine, the service was excellent, and the ambience intimate and charming. We were impressed by the menu (Ossobuco, Braciuola, Duck, Pheasant, Rabbit, Risotto in Squid Ink—just to name a few) and, most importantly, not overpriced. Friends who have dined there as well all reported very favorable results. The Southtowns are happy to have Il Fiorentino here!!! We can't wait to go back—it's almost as good as going to Italy! Let's give Il Fiorentino the credit it deserves—it has been in the restaurant business here in WNY since ca. 1990 and is still one of the best!"

Fireside Inn.
Rt. 240 (Central Ave.), E. Concord.
592-9979.

[MJH, 12/04] says: "You will need your GPS to find this place, but it's worth the trip, about 10 minutes from Kissing Bridge [ski resort]. Old farm house, turned into very nice place, with a very large fire place; room is warm, music low so you can talk. Food better than average; dinner for two under $50.00. The prime rib, very good; shrimp scampi a little too much lemon, but we will go back."

La Fleur.
5031 W. Lake Rd. (Route 394), at the Red Brick Farm (near the Chautauqua Institution), Mayville.
753-3512.

[WHN, 6/07] says: "Who would have thought there would be an outstanding French restaurant in Mayville, NY? There is one, at least, La Fleur. We only had lunch, but it was superb. La Fleur claims to have received a perfect "30" score from Zagat, but the link to the review no longer works, so I'll take their word for it. To start, my wife and I both had roasted red pepper soup, which was excellent. She had a salad: a pear and bleu cheese tart served over mixed greens, with smoked duck breast, tomatoes, apples, walnuts, and green beans, finished with hazelnut vinaigrette dressing. She said the combination was delicious. The pear and bleu cheese tart was too rich to finish, so I had some of it and agreed it was excellent. For my main course, I had perfectly cooked steak-frites. Apparently, the same group owns six or seven other restaurants in the area around Chautauqua Lake. La Fleur is only open in the summer; we learned that they had just re-opened for the season last week (6/22) and will close at the end of August, although they said they may be open on weekends during September, so be sure to check first."

El Fogon.
235 Niagara St. (near Carolina), Buffalo.
845-5137.

[MEL, 3/98] says: "Standard, pretty good Puerto Rican food. But not nearly as much variety on the menu as Niagara Café; everything is beef, pork, or fried."

[PF, 1994] says: "This is one of two restaurants serving standard but very good Puerto Rican food."

A. & C. Fontana's Spaghetti House.
2440 Clinton St. (near Harlem Rd.), W. Seneca.
822-7918.

[AFN, 8/06] says: "I attended a bridal shower and buffet dinner here Friday night. Even for this size of event (well over 100 people), the food was awful. They ran out of chicken breasts, so only had dried-out thighs and drumsticks for many guests, along with thin-sliced, overcooked roast beef; excessively salty scalloped potatoes; nondescript veggies; wilted salad, drenched in dressing. You would think any restaurant would want to impress 100+ guests, so they might choose to return in the future. Obviously, Fontana's didn't care and left a strongly negative impression."

[] Forte.
114 E. 3rd St., Jamestown, NY.
484-6063.

I [Bill] returned [5/07] for lunch during the 2007 Lucy-Desi Days. The restaurant is now under new management. I had a delicious Mediterranean spinach-bread wrap stuffed with hummus and falafel, with mesclun and tomatoes, accompanied by homemade fries.

Now under new management; the review below is for its former incarnation: Jamestown now has two 3-star restaurants, the quarter-century-old MacDuff's and now the brand-new Forte. [MER] and I ate here twice recently [5/05] while attending the Lucy-Desi Festival. The menu was slightly different each time. The waiter brought piping hot, fresh bread to the table, with a dipping oil. Both days, we began with the baby mixed greens with mandarin ginger vinaigrette and roma tomato, a huge salad with fresh greens and a subtly delicious dressing. I had the Thai curry day boat scallops with coconut milk and saffron basmati; I only wish I could have eaten it all; on my next visit, I had a much plainer, but equally tasty, pan-roasted halibut à la meunière, which was accompanied by thin string beans (perfectly done) and couscous (perhaps a bit on the dry side). [MER] had the grilled filet mignon Napoleon with roasted portabello mushroom and tomato herb demiglaze both times (though she opted to have them hold the bleu cheese listed on the menu). For dessert the first day, I had a very sweet chocolate peanut butter tart; the second day, I had mango sorbet, which one of our dining companions cleverly suggested we accompany with chocolate sauce. [MER] had a ricotta cheesecake. All were excellent. We'll be back! The owners also run The Liberty Street Café in Warren, PA, which appears to have a similar menu.

Fortuna's.
827 19th St. (just off Pine Ave.), Niagara Falls, NY.
282-2252.

Italian.

[PT, 1/08] says: "Fortuna's is a classic, southern Italian, "red sauce" restaurant in the heart of what used to be Niagara Falls's "Little Italy". The decor has probably not been updated since the fifties, with pictures of Italy; red, white, and green Italian flags and banners; etc. The neighborhood has seen its better days, but dinner choices like chicken and veal parmesan, which my wife and I had, lasagna, and ravioli, which our friends had, were all very good. The menu also offers steaks and seafood. The house salad with a simple oil and vinegar dressing and accompanying breads were excellent."

Frank's Sunny Italy Family Restaurant.
2491 Delaware Ave. (near Hertel Ave.), Buffalo.
876-5449.

[CI, 9/07] says: "This restaurant used to be a staple for our out-of-town friends, who declared the bread excellent, the portions large, the service good, and the food delicious. I went there twice and agreed—at the time, it was well on its way to becoming one of my favorite restaurants. The sauce is very sweet, but the saltiness and flavor of the various dishes balances it well. However, the last four(!!!) times I have gone to Frank's, the service has been unforgivable. I returned so many times with a prayer that the once great restaurant had recovered, but I have now given up hope. My husband and I have waited forty-five minutes without bread or drinks for spaghetti with sauce, on a night when there were only three tables besides us. We began to leave, and I asked to speak with a manager. The woman at the front desk said "You can speak to me." I explained the disappointing service, and she said "You didn't have any drinks, right?" I said "No." She said "Then you don't have to pay anything." I couldn't believe it—not even an apology. I wish I could say the other times were better, but once this person even began arguing about what time she had seated me! No matter how good the food is, my friends and I are never going back again. They have lost at least a dozen people to their deplorable service, just from my experiences alone. Let me repeat this—I have been there four times, and each time I have waited about a half hour for a waitress to come take my drink order, bring bread, say hello, anything—during busy times and dead times—and each time I have walked out without being served. Never again!"

[AFN, 3/07] says: "Undoubtedly one of the worst Italian restaurants I've ever experienced."

[MZ, 2/07] says: "Bad beyond belief."

[PMR, 10/05] says: "A large group of us (14 people) ate there 08/19/2005. We called ahead since we were such a large group. They sat us at 3 tables that were of varying shapes and sizes; this made for very odd people placement, especially where the round table met up with a square table. The food portions, while abundant, were awful. The linguine with clam sauce we ordered tasted like the pasta had been cooked in dirty water. I will not be returning to Frank's Sunny Italy."

Something seems to have happened between 2001 and 2005; read on....

[RJMu, 8/01] says: "Prototypical, family, Italian restaurant fare, which is to say massively portioned but meekly flavored. My veal margherita consisted of two large scaloppini layered with eggplant, ham, and the requisite cheese and tomato sauce. About half the dish was liquid, likely from improperly prepped eggplant. The ziti/red sauce side was far more satisfying, and I enjoyed the rather sweet sauce. It appeared that most of the crowd were neighborhood regulars, who seemed to be enjoying themselves thoroughly. The prices are early 80s (by metropolitan standards), but I'd prefer to have half the quantity with twice the flavor."

[MEL, 3/98] says: "Your other correspondent was right about the eggplant parmigiana. But be aware that you will get two meals rather than one because the portions are so large."

[MLS, 1/98] says: "A little too family for us! Big platters smothered in tomato sauce."

[BNR, 1/97] says: "Wow. Try the calzone—a cheese lover's dream. For less than $5, one of the best lunches I've had. Pizza dough the size of a hubcap filled with ricotta and mozarella with a piece of cappacola in the middle. Also try the Shrimp Fra Diavolo dinner—spicy, but divine."

[JO&AB, 1/97] say: "We went there before we found your list and thought it would be safe because of the long line. However, the veal (sorrento or scallopini?) was barely edible, the salad was infested with at least 50 green olive slices, had embarassing lettuce, and in general, had no redeeming qualities. The budget sub roll we received as bread was burnt. The spagetti with meat sauce was so sweet we couldn't eat it. We were very unsatisfied."

[LD, 5/96] says: "Great Italian food, huge portions, moderately priced, good service, the best eggplant parm in the, well, I would have to say world. I never order eggplant parm anywhere else, because I know I will be disappointed. We think it is one of Buffalo's best kept secrets, although you could never tell by the line at the door on Friday nights!"

Friar's Table.
301 Cleveland Dr., Cheektowaga.
833-5554.

[JeL, 3/99] says: "The Friar's Table is, without a doubt in my mind, the best restaurant in Buffalo. I have clients come in from all around the world, and I always make sure that I take them there. The shrimp cocktail there is unbelievable; the shrimp are the size of small lobster tails. Their steaks are out of this world, and they have the best Red Zinfadel wine that we have been able to find anywhere. The only problem that I have with this place is that the service is so excellent that I leave such a huge tip—a very nice problem to have though. Check this place out!!!!!!!"

Fuji Grill.
724 Maple Rd. (at N. Forest, in the Maple-Forest Plaza), Williamsville.
688-6199.

Japanese.

[ELC, 9/07] says: "After hearing many good things about the Fuji Grill, and due to the fact that Kibarashi has been reposessed by NY State for nonpayment of property taxes, my significant other and I decided to try it—maybe it was a bad night for them, or maybe it is just that mediocre of a place. The service was very slow—it was a Friday, but slow even for a weekend. The calamari were good in texture but there wasn't much flavor to them. The last straw, though, was when I ordered a spicy maki combination plate and was brought chicken teryaki instead—now I know that the two sound similar, but seriously, it's a sushi restaurant; half the things on the menu end in -aki, so the staff should really be able to tell them apart. I've heard good things about their sushi, so I'm sure it would have been wonderful if I'd actually been able to try it. For now, I think I'll find another replacement for Kibarashi."

[KY, 4/07] says: "It's ironic that after chef Tony Kang (owner of Wasabi) left Fuji Grill, the quality and appearance of the food has much improved. I hope this review helps."

[JJK, 4/06] says: "The Review: Very positive! I went to Fuji Grill for the first time yesterday and was very impressed. Upon entering the restaurant, I immediately noticed the pleasantly quiet and relaxing atmosphere (though it was about 2 o'clock on a Wednesday, so I'm not sure what it is like during busier hours, but either way the inside was very beautiful). My mother and I, both being fairly new to Japanese food, took a while to decide what we were going to try, but finally decided on a tempura shrimp "lunch box", some seafood fried rice, and a piece of sushi-style octopus. After only a few minutes, our waitress brought out our miso soup, (a new flavor to me, but very good), and soon after the soup was finished, our meals arrived. The first thing that went through my mind was how beautiful everything looked, and the looks were not at all deceiving! Everything tasted wonderful, portion sizes were just right, and so was the price (for $7.99, the tempura shrimp lunch box came with soup, a small salad, 4 or 5 tempura shrimp, some tempura veggies, and six pieces of a sushi roll). I personally had no problem with the service, as some of the other reviewers had stated. It seemed to me that you would be presented with a course and then left alone until the next course, so I suppose I could see why someone who likes to have lots of attention from the waitress/waiter could view the service as being less than stellar. Overall, I had a very positive experience at Fuji grill and definitely plan to go back in the very near future."

[ARo, 10/05] says: "Because your website has helped my wife and I find some really great places to eat, I feel I need to contribute...Thanks for all the great info! My wife and I have been to Fuji Grill on many occasions. It's a great place to go for a really cheap lunch if you buy 2 or 3 rolls from the lunch menu. The sushi has been consistently delicious, creative, and most importantly—fresh. For dinner, I typically order a regular fish roll (smoked salmon, smoked tuna, etc.) and one of the more pricy specialty rolls, like the "White Monster" or the "Volcano". My wife loves their fried rice as well as their varieties of Katsu Don. I agree with the previous reviewers that the service needs work, but we still go because the food is just too good to let something like that ruin it. Overall, I think this is a great restaurant with great food and mediocre service."

[RDK, 5/05] says: "Negative review. This place is just terrible. I am Japanese, and they are nowhere close to being "authentic". I ordered their "sushi regular" meal, which came with 8 pieces of raw-fish sushi and a California roll. Most of the fish they use is not fresh. They smell really bad, when they should not. I could not handle the taste, and almost spat out (of course I did not do that). The fish at Wegman's is so much better than what they're using. Their California roll was not very good, either. There weren't many customers at the time, and the waitress just read the newspaper and did not realize I was done with the meal until 15 minutes later. You're just going to waste your money if you eat in this place."

[CJH, 3/05] says: "Service is horrible. I have eaten there many times. Tempura is good, because they re-use old oil to fry stuff. Teriyaki? Just go to China King next door because it's the same thing. The very last time I went, I ordered the scallop special, which was supposedly all raw and eaten as sashimi. When it got here, it became a sushi roll. I complained to the very nice waitress (she was a re-hired waitress who quit on them because the owners are just @$$E$), and the waitress told the owner (there's two owners, one lady and one gentleman; the lady is grumpy and mean). Then the lady owner came over and said I'll get you another one and yelled at the waitress for doing absolutely nothing wrong; so, I got a little pissed off. Then the scallop sashimi came, and they put so much lemon juice on it that I almost can't even taste scallop. You know why so much lemon juice? Because the scallop was bad. It smelled and tasted like rotten fish, if you taste closely and smell it. I complained at the lady owner, in English, and she was telling me that there must be something wrong with my taste because everything is fresh. So I started speaking Mandarin to her (even though my Mandarin is really bad, and I could only speak Cantonese). Then my girlfriend talks to her in Mandarin, and she told us that we are wrong and there is definitely something wrong with us. I told her to eat it, and if she eats every part of it, i'll gladly pay for it. She didn't, so I guess I got a refund. I gave the waitress $6 tips inside a napkin because they share the napkins with the sushi guys at the sushi bar (they are part of the owners anyway and they get the most tip out of it). Overall, I gave Fuji Grill only $0.32 and the waitress a full $6. She was happy; I was happy. I give this place a negative star. They are just greedy, selfish people who don't care about others, and all they want is money."

[SBy, 8/04] says: "I am new to the area, so the first thing I did was scout out the Japanese restaurants in the area. Fuji Grill was easily my favorite. The atmosphere is casual and unpretentious (it looks like your stereotypical Japanese restaurant inside). Although we didn't try any of the hot food, we ordered liberally from the sushi menu. The large specialty rolls are easily standouts, even by New York City standards. (While chatting with the waitress, we were advised that the restaurant changed owners about a year ago, and the new owner was a former NYC sushi chef.) The portions were large, and the quality of the fish was outstanding. The eel was especially well prepared. My wife ordered a Dragon Roll, and this came out complete with a dragon head and tail sculpted out of the natural features of the sushi. It was pretty amazing to look at, and even better to eat. Since our first dining experience there, we've been back twice, and the high quality has been consistent. My only complaint was that sushi platters were brought out as the chefs completed them, and not all at once. This meant that there is often a few minutes between when my dinner was brought out and when my wife's dinner was brought out. A minor annoyance, but one that could be easily resolved."

[AJB, 4/03] says: "We tried out the brand new Fuji Grill twice this week for sushi only. It is located in the plaza on the Northwest corner of North Forest & Maple (same plaza as Dessert Deli). On Saturday night, we ate in. The waiter was somewhat slow, and seemed inexperienced but competent. We ordered an assortment of rolls & sushi—the Fuji roll has salmon, eel, and avocado, and is excellent. Their California roll is also very good. The quality of the fish is top-notch. The price is right, too. One of the tables adjacent to us had a group of about 7 young people, some of whom ordered sushi, and others ordered hot dishes. The kitchen brought out the food as it was ready, except for one of the hot meals, which was apparently cold. The sushi eaters were pretty much done with their dinners by the time the hot meals came out, so one young man (the one whose hot dish was cold) complained to the waiter. If you want it all out at the same time, make a point to ask, I suppose. Being satisfactorily impressed, we tried it for take-out the following evening. The take-out is prepared attractively on an aluminum plate, and I can now also recommend the rainbow roll. It's a nice alternative to Shogun and better than most Wegman's sushi."

[am] Friday's.
1209 Niagara Falls Blvd. (in Boulevard Mall), Amherst.
835-6000.
Also at other locations.

Part of the chain.

[3/07] Unfortunately, the garlic chicken with garlic mashed potatoes are no longer on their menu:-(

[3/04] I have removed the "[—]" negative ranking, since I've had an absolutely delicious garlic chicken with garlic mashed potatoes dish at several Friday's restaurants recently. It's real comfort food.

Frog Hair Grille.
7800 Transit Rd. (north of Sheridan Dr.), Williamsville.
839-3764.

[NZ, 9/07] says: "I did a turnaround on Transit after seeing the new patio completed and diners eating lunch. Entering the main door, I stood for quite a few minutes, and no one stopped and looked or addressed me. So I went to the bar and asked who could seat me (lunchtime is hurry time), and I was brusquely told someone would be at the main door and I should go back and wait there. This is not a small place, so standing at the main door far from the patio did not make sense. I asked a server, and a young man cleaning tables would not even stop, and repeated the same thing. I told him I already did that and no one came, and he very abruptly stopped and gave me a menu with a 'sic'. The patio is very attractive, with a view and sounds of the traffic on Transit Road. The menu had a "Signature Salad" that I ordered for $10.95. After 20 minutes (they were not busy at all), the salad arrived. Not one item except the flavor of salad dressing was in this salad from the menu description. No Bibb lettuce, only white lettuce chunks, only a small plateful at that, and no selection of fruit, and unbelievable: 1 strawberry cut up into tiny pieces. The carmelized pecans were nowhere to be found. This is a salad I would not even make at home, and they wanted $11.00. Again, all the servers disappeared, and it is now 1:50, time to return to work. I took the salad, which I did not eat, and the menu and showed the manager. He asked me if I wanted more lettuce leaves!! I left. I cannot believe anyone would serve this."

Frontier Catering.
912 Union Rd. (Southgate Plaza), West Seneca.
674-4455.

[RS, 12/03] says: "We went to a banquet, and this caterer serviced the food. It was elegant and delicious. What a spread of food that was hot and tasty! I was very surprised, considering how many people were there, how yummy the food was."

Frosty's Lancaster.
5500 Broadway (at Holland), Lancaster.
681-5422.

Hours 10AM-10PM, 7 days a week, seasonal.

[BL, 7/04] says: "Frosty's in Lancaster is an ultimate ice cream place for seasonal outdoor eating. It features the largest cones on Broadway (and just about anywhere else!). I truly dare you to eat the colossal on a regular basis! At Frosty's, their small is medium to large at other places. Hard ice cream and custard are available. Regular cones and specialty waffle cones. Large menu with numerous varieties of ice cream concoctions and also a variety of good quality fast food, etc. Prices are reasonable, as you will see when you visit. The owner has been in operation at this famous Lancaster corner for 10 years, and the location is also registered as a historic landmark. In the summer, one comes down and makes an order, waits a few minutes, and receives the delicious treat. Seating is outdoors on a variety of summer furniture (fun, giant, wood toys for the kids, too). The place has a fun, happy atmosphere, and, since ice cream is so loved, you will find teens, tots, families, seniors. The owner has said that, if everyone just sat down together to enjoy ice cream, there would be no wars! Great place, and one of best custards in town, especially since the closing of Pautler's. [Editor's note [5/08]: Pautler's has re-opened.] A regular destination by many throughout WNY during the warm months."

[J&NS, 9/04] adds: "Just to correct the person who submitted the writeup on Frosty's in Lancaster. The present owner has only been there two years..this being his second season, not his tenth. Otherwise, I agree with the writeup!!!"

But [BL, 11/04] replies: "This information regarding 10 years was from the article written on the door of the establishment. If I am incorrect, it was not intentional. The article seems to indicate it was about the present owner."

[am] Fuddrucker's.—WARNING: WEBSITE HAS LOUD MUSIC
4300 Maple Rd. (near Sweet Home Rd.), Amherst. 836-3683.
2013 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga. 651-0306.

Part of the chain.

[BL, 3/07] says of the Walden Ave. location: "A familiar, good chain. Like the layout better than the Amherst location, because it is broken up a bit more. Both are fine, and we are glad there is one located in this part of the county. Decent service and helpful staff. When you want to go somewhere on a Friday, and it is a late start, this place is never too crowded with out-the-door lines. Of course, the management might want that, but we are not complaining."

[RM, 5/00] says of the Amherst location: "A major step up from the fast-food burger joints. Good hamburger and steak sandwiches."